Theresa Miskimen

Theresa M. Miskimen Rivera is a Puerto Rican psychiatrist and professor. She is a clinical professor of psychiatry at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and serves as the chair and medical director of the department of psychiatry at Hunterdon Medical Center. Miskimen Rivera became the president of the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in May 2025 for the 2025 to 2026 term. She is the first Puerto Rican to hold the position.

Early life and education Miskimen Rivera was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, the second of four daughters. Her mother was a plant pathologist and her father an entomologist and ecologist, both of whom worked at the Tropical Agricultural Research Station at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. She then attended the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, where she earned a M.D. in 1990.

In 2004, New Jersey Governor James McGreevey appointed her to the Youth Suicide Prevention Advisory Council. As president, she stated her goals are to address the national shortage of psychiatrists by championing psychiatrist-led multidisciplinary teams, leveraging integrated care models to expand access, retaining telepsychiatry services, and promoting diversity-enhancing interdisciplinary programs.

Personal life Miskimen Rivera is married to an industrial engineer and has a son and a daughter. As of 2024, she resides in Millstone Township, New Jersey. She practices yoga and meditation.